With the Pats/Steelers season opener just a few days away, I figured I'd get the ball rolling on this year's regular season thread.

Any hopes I had for my Carolina Panthers have been significantly dashed by Kelvin Benjamin's season-ending injury, but I'm slightly
optimistic that if the defense remains good and the NFC South sucks as bad as it did last year, we may be able to squeak by and three-peat as division
champions (I'm not really getting my hopes up though).

And if anyone else wants to get any thoughts/predictions in before the regular season begins, jump on in!

Nash is only a few inches bigger than JBL and depending on how stiff he gets Punk should be able to take it. -JB King, meant in a totally non-sexual
way

chretienbabacool

The Great One

Posts 3444
Registered 3-5-2003Location Columbia, MOMember Is Offline

Mood: Go Cubs!

posted on 9-8-2015 at 02:10 AM

My Bears are going to suck and the Pats once again get away with cheating because of the incompetence of the NFL. Screw the NFL long live
baseball!

My Chargers are going to chase the wild card in the AFC. May or not make it, but won't get past the first round. Then they'll move to
Los Angeles and I will try to figure out if I still want to root for them or anymore.

And if I don't, then I'll have to figure out if the Seahawks become my team. But no, I can't, not as long as Pete Carroll is their
coach.

Goddammit, NFL.

OOMike

The Great One

Posts 3789
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Mood: same ol same ol

posted on 9-8-2015 at 11:53 PM

I figure my Giants will either go 6-10 and Coughlin gets shown the door, or they go 10-6 and beat the Pats in SB50. There is no in between.

2017 where Nazis are defended and being against Fascism is a bad thing.

Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic – Tryon Edwards

Never let the facts interfere with a good rant.

The only OO columnist that has never written a column.

denverpunk

The Rowdy One

Posts 2797
Registered 6-27-2007Location Mile-HiMember Is Offline

Mood: Stoked

posted on 9-9-2015 at 06:06 PM

- I'm not sure if Denver or Dallas make the playoffs this year.

- Arizona looks solid and will replace San Fran in the standings, who will be the worst team in football (yes, even worse than the Jags).

- Philly will be really good if Bradford stays healthy, and I think Buffalo could sneak into a Wild Card spot.

- Marcus Mariotta will be a BUST.

- The Redskins will continue to be an embarrassment.

OOMike

The Great One

Posts 3789
Registered 1-3-2002Location Columbus, OHMember Is Offline

Mood: same ol same ol

posted on 9-11-2015 at 09:17 PM

Lets get my off the wall predictions out here:

NFC East:
Dallas

North:
Minnesota

South:
Carolina

West:
Seattle

WC:
Giants
Green Bay

AFC East:
New England

North:
Pittsburgh

South:
Colts

West:
Denver

WC:
KC
Bills

2017 where Nazis are defended and being against Fascism is a bad thing.

Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic – Tryon Edwards

quote:Originally posted by OOMike
Lets get my off the wall predictions out here

I don't think those predictions are too off the wall, outside of maybe not having the Eagles making the playoffs (which, as an Eagles hater,
I'd love to see, but I think they'll be pretty solid this year).

And on different note, as someone whose fantasy football opponent this week has both Brady and Gronk in their lineup, all I can say about last
night's game is fuck that game.

Nash is only a few inches bigger than JBL and depending on how stiff he gets Punk should be able to take it. -JB King, meant in a totally non-sexual
way

The life of a Panthers fan: losing our top wide receiver before the season even begins to a torn ACL and then losing our top defensive player to a
concussion in the first half of the season opener...sigh. At least we made it out of Jacksonville with a win, which may be one of the only ones we get
this year.

And I know it's the opening weekend of the season, but I'd say the surprise of the day is Buffalo slapping around Indy. Next week's
game against the Patriots should be fun.

Nash is only a few inches bigger than JBL and depending on how stiff he gets Punk should be able to take it. -JB King, meant in a totally non-sexual
way

denverpunk

The Rowdy One

Posts 2797
Registered 6-27-2007Location Mile-HiMember Is Offline

Mood: Stoked

posted on 9-14-2015 at 04:09 AM

quote:Originally posted by denverpunk
- Marcus Mariotta will be a BUST.

Well, back to the Swami drawing board on that one. And I'm happy to be wrong, as I'd take that guy over the Seminole rapist any day.

Regarding Buffalo, I picked them to make the wild card this year. Rex Ryan's enthusiasm is good for at least one year of good times for Bills
fans

[Edited on 9-14-2015 by denverpunk]

OOMike

The Great One

Posts 3789
Registered 1-3-2002Location Columbus, OHMember Is Offline

Mood: same ol same ol

posted on 9-14-2015 at 12:37 PM

I'm done.....

When you don't have the better players, you need to out coach the other team. The Giants do not have the talent, outside the receivers
(assuming Cruz ever comes back), to beat teams, we need Coughlin to be the better coach. Last night, that did not happen.

I have been playing football games for thirty years, there comes a point when time is more important than points. I know this, I have numerous games
experience when sometimes running the ball three times and taking the FG, or even punting and giving the other team no time is better than trying to
get the points and leaving them too much time.

The Giants should have won last night, they could have stole a win in Dallas and started the year right. Instead they lost, did not look good, and I
am done.

Bring on hockey.

2017 where Nazis are defended and being against Fascism is a bad thing.

Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic – Tryon Edwards

I mean, I probably would've run the ball there (and maybe even on 4th down too), but I don't hate the pass call. Everyone expected
the run, so try surprising them and see if you can find some receiver wide open in the end zone. If you do, it's an easy toss-and-catch that
clinches the game. Worst-case scenario (or at least what should have been the worst-case scenario), there's no one open, Eli takes a sack or
runs/slides, and you kick the field goal just like they did, but with 45 or so fewer seconds on the clock.

The one thing that you absolutely cannot do is not get the touchdown and stop the clock, which of course is what they did. And I guess you could make
the case that Coughlin should've spelled that out for him very clearly before the play, but goddamn, Eli's been a starting QB in the NFL
for more than a decade now and they just gave him 84 million more dollars to continue doing so. He kinda has to know that already.

I'm Cherokee Jack!

OOMike

The Great One

Posts 3789
Registered 1-3-2002Location Columbus, OHMember Is Offline

Mood: same ol same ol

posted on 9-14-2015 at 05:42 PM

To me the worse thing that could have happened is a turnover, either an INT or a strip sack.

The way I look at it if they ran the ball there are three outcomes:
1- get stuffed, clock runs, kick FG
2- Score, game iced....hopefully
3- Fumble (which is the least likely)
a- Giants recover, clock runs, kick FG
b- Dallas recovers, clock runs during scrum, play defense for 65 yards.

Once the call was made, that was bad execution by Eli, my point is, that call should not have been made. What is it with throwing the ball on the one
yard line?!?!?! Especially when they were moving the ball on the ground that drive.

[Edited on 9-14-2015 by OOMike]

2017 where Nazis are defended and being against Fascism is a bad thing.

Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic – Tryon Edwards

Never let the facts interfere with a good rant.

The only OO columnist that has never written a column.

Thom

The Immortal One

Posts 4881
Registered 1-14-2003Location At the gymMember Is Offline

Mood: Rather be lifting

posted on 9-14-2015 at 05:58 PM

quote:Originally posted by OOMike
What is it with throwing the ball on the one yard line?!?!?!

Eh, the Dallas/Giants game was just a mess to watch in general. I'm a Dallas fan that lives in NY, so this game has repercussions for me with
most of my friends for the entire season on a level beyond statistics. And even saying all that, I just shook my head at some of the play calls and
penalty calls. Random thoughts pulled from my head the next day, so hopefully folks can understand the context:

1) Okay, I don't really like the new 15yd personal foul call when a guy pulls people off a pile during a fumble recovery situation. I mean, if
you really have to do a penalty, make it a 5yd one. Although honestly, I have a feeling that this one will be called less and less as players get
used to it, and as years go by where fewer players remember the pre-rule situation. But still. Meh. 15yrd is such a huge swing for something
stupid.

2) The Cowboys got a huge break on a pass interference call that set them up with a first and goal that wasn't pass interference at all. When
friends watching the game with me called me out on such a shitty call helping Dallas, I simply agreed because sometimes you just have to. I
didn't mind the first and goal though. Just saying.

3) Speaking of shitty rules and calls, I still hate the Dez Bryant rule or whatever it was called before it. The catch/forward motion thing is a
garbage call every time, and a key Giants' reception was changed to an incomplete that gave Dallas back the ball and let them drive to close the
score. When my friends made a snarky comment on that play, I simply said that I still hated the rule and still found it bullshit whether they called
it on a Giant or a Cowboy.

4) Fucking broken foot. Sigh. There goes a fantasy WR for me and the best WR on my favorite team for 4-6 weeks. Jerk.

5) I don't see anything wrong with the pass call on the 3rd down. I mean, I understand why people are bitching, and it's one of those
things where they aren't really wrong. BUT. The way the NFL is these days, passing on 3rd and 1 from anywhere on the field is now a common
thing that you see all of the time. While statistically it might not be the best call, a lot of starting QBs don't seem to care and do it
anyway. If it had ended in an easy TD, Eli would have been hailed for his attacking aggressive offense in the papers today. So yeah. That said, I
would have gone for it on 4th down after that play. A run up the middle either wins you the game or gives Dallas the ball on their 1 with a minute or
less left. I don't really feel the easy FG was worth it. And I never really do in that situation.

6) The Giants seriously mismanaged the play clock at the end. There's no arguing that at all. When they snapped the ball with like 18-19
seconds left after they were gifted a full 40 again, it definitely was a little WTF. I mean, milking that extra 20 seconds is the kind of shit they
start teaching you in 6-7th grade Pop Warner/Modified football.

7) The Giants were pretty much outplayed the whole game. I'm sorry, Giants fans, but it's true. Dallas owned the entire first half
outside of the last one minute and a couple of plays. Turnovers that were not really Romo's fault gifted the Giants extensively. And kudos for
them in cashing on on said gifts. But other than that, Dallas simply looked better, played better, and seemed more confident in their play calls and
defenses. At least in this game.

Well, classic Cardiac Cats performance by my Panthers today after almost blowing a late 14-point lead to a Ryan Mallet-lead Texans. I'll take
the win and 2-0 start though.

Also, some surprising results today...Tampa Bay beating New Orleans on the road? Washington stomping St. Louis? Johnny Manziel and the Browns taking
down Tennessee after their hot start last Sunday? I give up trying to pick these games week to week.

Nash is only a few inches bigger than JBL and depending on how stiff he gets Punk should be able to take it. -JB King, meant in a totally non-sexual
way

nOOb

The Man

Posts 7009
Registered 5-24-2004Member Is Offline

Mood: Hot Dog!

posted on 9-20-2015 at 10:47 PM

Meanwhile, the Bears may wind up being even worse than I thought they'd be, as Jay Cutler is hurt with what John Fox will not elaborate on more
than just saying "hamstring", despite Cutler appearing to hurt his shoulder/arm on his last play. I feel bad for John Fox: just when he thought he
got away from having to deal with a Jimmy Clausen lead team in Carolina...oops. At least the Bears fans at Soldier Field will learn a lesson: no
matter how much they hate Cutler, this team can, and has, done worse at QB.

"The Seahawks are cool. Me and Tubby here hung out with them once at a Bruno Mars concert."-Jay and Silent Bob representing the Broncos on FOX NFL
Sunday.

punkerhardcore

American Dream

Posts 8038
Registered 7-16-2005Member Is Offline

Mood: Lickable

posted on 9-21-2015 at 12:08 AM

Dallas is in bad shape too, as Romo got his collarbone snapped. Which kept him out most of the season when he had the same thing a few years back.

However, this doesn't matter to them today, since Philly has been hilariously awful the entire game.

Is everyone mad here?
Of course they are, and you are too... otherwise, you wouldn't have come here.

OOMike

The Great One

Posts 3789
Registered 1-3-2002Location Columbus, OHMember Is Offline

Mood: same ol same ol

posted on 9-21-2015 at 12:35 PM

quote:Originally posted by punkerhardcore
Dallas is in bad shape too, as Romo got his collarbone snapped. Which kept him out most of the season when he had the same thing a few years back.

However, this doesn't matter to them today, since Philly has been hilariously awful the entire game.

It doesn't matter for the season... they can go 8-8 and win the division by two games.

2017 where Nazis are defended and being against Fascism is a bad thing.

Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic – Tryon Edwards

Even though we've had an easy schedule thus far, I'm happy to see my Panthers head into the bye week 4-0 and to finally get a convincing
win today. Josh Norman is easily a top five CB in the league at the moment and watching him and the Panthers' defense pick off Jameis Winston
four times today was good stuff.

Oh, and the Eagles dropped to 1-3 today, so this has been a good Sunday so far.

Nash is only a few inches bigger than JBL and depending on how stiff he gets Punk should be able to take it. -JB King, meant in a totally non-sexual
way

Thom

The Immortal One

Posts 4881
Registered 1-14-2003Location At the gymMember Is Offline

Mood: Rather be lifting

posted on 10-5-2015 at 02:56 PM

Holy shit, the Jets were trying to lose that game yesterday. 14 penalties? Oy. Anyone but the Fins, and they would have lost. OK - the Browns, too.